Düsseldorf (Reuters) - According to CEO Tobias Meyer, the logistics group DHL is sticking to its broad international positioning.

"We have a relatively broad global presence and want to maintain this," the manager told the Wirtschaftspublizistische Vereinigung Düsseldorf (WPV) on Tuesday evening. His Group is continuing to focus on globalization. Business outside Germany had recently contributed more than 90 percent to profits. The economy did not recover as well as hoped in the second half of the year. "We are already assuming that we will also see decent Christmas business, especially in the consumer-facing businesses, in the parcel business."

According to Meyer, China remains one of the Group's most important foreign markets. "We have no intention of doing less there," emphasized the manager, who succeeded long-standing CEO Frank Appel in May. In the People's Republic, there are more and more private companies with which DHL wants to do business. "The Chinese market is still very attractive for us, especially as an export and import market." Meyer referred to the plans to expand wind energy. "This is also a business where, logically, things have to be transported." The US market remains important. DHL wants to continue to grow and invest here.

In Germany, the signs look different for DHL. The mail sector is shrinking, not least due to increasing digitalization. This is not a disaster. However, the Group will not subsidize the local business with income from abroad. "We have clearly articulated that we are prepared to invest what we earn in Germany."

The Federal Network Agency had rejected an application by the company for an early postage increase in the coming year. The Group had criticized this. The conversion to climate neutrality would cost a lot of money. This could not be earned to the extent required. The company has come up with a new delivery option that could provide some relief. According to this, a standard letter should only be delivered after three days, which could enable savings to be made on transportation. Mail that is to be delivered one day after posting, a so-called "priority letter", would then be more expensive.

"The framework conditions have to be right," emphasized Meyer. What these look like also depends on the planned amendment to the Postal Act. At the end of January, the Federal Ministry of Economics presented key points for the amendment to the law; it is banking on more competition and more powers for the Federal Network Agency. This could have serious consequences for the market leader Swiss Post. In the first half of the year, the Bonn-based group posted a slump in profits in the letter and parcel business in Germany with a slight drop in sales.

(Report by Tom Käckenhoff, edited by Hans Seidenstücker. If you have any queries, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and the economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)